tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post1316260792711022614..comments2011-05-04T22:56:13.878-07:00Comments on Dr. Newmark's "Other Writers": The City and New ArrivalsDr. Newmark at NMThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08160226501062742516noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-31461659564982610432011-05-04T22:39:58.844-07:002011-05-04T22:39:58.844-07:00I think that Dunbar portrayal of New York City is ...I think that Dunbar portrayal of New York City is more that just slightly tainted by his own experiences. Personally I think that Dunbar had a bit of personal vendetta with the urban environment. I found his depictions of the city to be on sided and very pessimistic. I have lived in very rural areas in my life, but I have never once seen the city in the same shadow as Dunbar. He may see it as a place in which good people become morally corrupt, but I think that he has chosen to not look at the embarrassive side of the city. When the Hamilton&#39;s arrived in N.Y.C. they were not longer shunned or singled out. It was the urban city which gave them that piece of mind, I think that is important to keep in mind.Aloshahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00366245241508735613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-19148940267229840912011-05-04T22:37:08.346-07:002011-05-04T22:37:08.346-07:00I think Dunbar does attribute the Hamilton&#39;s s...I think Dunbar does attribute the Hamilton&#39;s struggles in New York because they are &quot;greenhorns&quot;. Joe is unable to control himself and Kit becomes overwhelmed with the thoughts of fame and fortune that might be brought on by being a singer. Although these problems are related to them being in a new setting, based on the good example Berry set for so many years they should have been able to understand the negative impacts those kind of activities would eventually lead to.Just because New York offers new opportunities, both kids should have paid more attention to their mother and less to the other people around them. Especially after being betrayed by their peers down South.Sean Menkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17816294275152040878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-50415781600758037602011-05-04T21:42:55.420-07:002011-05-04T21:42:55.420-07:00Dunbar&#39;s portrayal of New York in The Sport of...Dunbar&#39;s portrayal of New York in The Sport of the Gods exemplifies some of the characteristic nastiness found in large cities; he mentions the subtle insidious wine of the city as something to be avoided at all costs, as if it had the power to change ones entire being; to corrupt it until there is nothing else left. Some of the problems experienced by the Hamilton&#39;s during their first year in the city can indeed be attributed to greenhorn status; in particular, the lack of knowledge about the kind of people that populate the clubs and bars, seeking to take advantage of the unwary, contributes to their downfall.David Parkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06555803711476639488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-3078463396996900362011-05-04T21:31:48.076-07:002011-05-04T21:31:48.076-07:00The gigantic scale and esoteric livings style of N...The gigantic scale and esoteric livings style of New York can lead to a consumption of its new inhabitants, in the sense that the societies new inhabitants can lose themselves and their identities. This, in some senses, attributes to the mystical qualities of New York because of its abilities to reinvent ones self, but also, the ability to lose one&#39;s heritage and goals.Cristianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13122334556753080624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-5682793531629535182011-05-04T20:44:48.189-07:002011-05-04T20:44:48.189-07:00Dunbar makes a very strong distinction between the...Dunbar makes a very strong distinction between the south and New York. while still in the south the Hamilton&#39;s think of New York as mythical place where they can make a new start. when they arrive in New York Dunbar make a statement that basically states that if the Hamilton&#39;s are lucky than they will be able to escape the urban setting even if they just move to New Jersey. this shows that all of the glamor and temptation of New York can destroy people who are ignorant of the why of an urban setting.Jedediah Tratechaudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08354902488021044481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-63574805569551737422011-05-04T20:11:19.471-07:002011-05-04T20:11:19.471-07:00Dunbar most definitely makes a strong distinction ...Dunbar most definitely makes a strong distinction between New York and the rural origins of the Hamiltons. When he introduces the city, he tells that it is the one place where they would be doomed, that even just across the river in New Jersey would improve their fate. Dunbar also makes a clear division in the language he uses. To describe their home in the south he utilizes largely pastoral imagery, while when depicting New York as a place where those used to the routine prey on newcomers in order to flush out their own coffers, such as Hattie does, and Thomas does to a lesser extent.Codyhttp://blog.theoreticalchaos.com/author/cmaloney/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-41254294210396965592011-05-04T19:43:24.051-07:002011-05-04T19:43:24.051-07:00In Dunbar&#39;s novel, the reader sees the city to...In Dunbar&#39;s novel, the reader sees the city to be described as an evil place and a more rural place to be more of a safe haven. The city does promote immoral behavior which the Hamilton&#39;s fall to. This is not because of their race however as discussed by Dunbar. This is because they, like all human beings, are given a choice to do right or wrong. Dunbar strives to convey that if black people want equality, they need to not use their race as an excuse which is something done by the Hamilton&#39;s.tpayton2010https://www.blogger.com/profile/00421833196714942045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-91267936871400080652011-05-04T18:16:27.308-07:002011-05-04T18:16:27.308-07:00It was said that Joe thought of New York as &quot;...It was said that Joe thought of New York as &quot;a place vague and far away, a city that, like Heaven, to them had existed by faith alone. All the days of their lives they had heard of it, and it seemed to them the centre of all glory, all wealth, and all the freedom of the world.&quot; They expected New York to be great new start but found out it was much different then what they imagined. They had to adapt to the change by mimicking the pre-approved social conventions.blainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08148862335660155233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-69733027101106117742011-05-03T19:37:11.032-07:002011-05-03T19:37:11.032-07:00There is a difference of treatment between the two...There is a difference of treatment between the two locations of the novel; the unfortunate events in New York are mostly from the personality traits of Joe and Kitty, not really from their social status. There is alcohol and cheap entertainment that lulls them into their respective niches. This too is evidence that Dunbar is drawing a line between the two locations: this is illustrated by the fact that Hattie, who resists the &quot;pull&quot; of the city, still ends up with an abusive husband and two &quot;missing&quot; children. Though the prejudice and racism were very thick in the rural area, it is the place that Hattie and her first husband return to because there was an apology from the family that initially put them out of their home. The rural area is by no means perfect, but it is a place of reconciling and quiet, whereas New York is full of havoc and negative consequences.Adelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16743887733878317698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-69030620088401004332011-05-02T22:00:06.852-07:002011-05-02T22:00:06.852-07:00The Hamiltons were definitely greenhorns. Their tr...The Hamiltons were definitely greenhorns. Their trouble began with Joe and Kitty being sucked into the city life that they were unaccustomed to. Fannie on the other hand, was able to resist the pull of the city life. This could possibly be explained by her wisdom from being older. There is evidence that it won&#39;t stop after they are greenhorns. Hattie wasn&#39;t a greenhorn yet she fell in the same crowd that Kitty was going to be stuck with. Sadness foreshadows the life that Joe will become stuck in. It should be said that their upbringing combined with their submersion into the big city caused them to make decisions that will affect them long after they are no longer considered greenhorns.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10035923658608659210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-17471656586917994942011-04-30T16:29:56.005-07:002011-04-30T16:29:56.005-07:00Yes the Hamiltons are &quot;Greenhorns&quot; in a ...Yes the Hamiltons are &quot;Greenhorns&quot; in a sence that they dont know New York. They try to avoid people because they think that their fathers trial is a big deal. Dunbar does show the differences between the city and rural towns. He shows that living in the small town did not prepare them to live in the big city of New York.Reinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17674976081886322093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-76724605644277572012011-04-18T11:48:56.508-07:002011-04-18T11:48:56.508-07:00The Hamiltons are definitely &quot;Greenhorns&quot...The Hamiltons are definitely &quot;Greenhorns&quot; to the city of NY. Greenhorns in the sense that they do not know the city, do not know the places, and do not know the people around them. As a result the Hamiltons move into the first housing they find while making friends with the first people they meet without even the faintest idea of what may come. Dunbar does highlight many differences between the country and city. Primarily the people around them and the way lives are shaped. For example Kitty becomes a dancer and Fannie marries an abusive man from down the hall. The city problems promoted are that the city is a collection of the nation&#39;s trash. The bar Joe spends time is a great representation of this as no one in there has not had some major problems/trouble in their lives.Maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05473893972283183539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-70141019592134047012011-04-18T09:24:46.856-07:002011-04-18T09:24:46.856-07:00Many of the family’s problems in the city stem fro...Many of the family’s problems in the city stem from their “greenhorn” status, most notably, their assumption that their father’s conviction will somehow tarnish their reputation in a city as large as New York. They spend their first year carefully avoiding telling anyone about their father and their past in their previous small town. Because of this, they alter many of their relationships with the other people they meet in New York, not realizing that their father’s trial is not really that big of a deal. Dunbar uses this to heavily emphasize the differences between big cities and small, rural towns. For the characters in this novel, their simple upbringing was not enough to prepare them for the harsh realities of the city. In fact, it could even be argued that their small town attitudes and behaviors, which they left the South with, actually hindered their ability to completely thrive in the big city where those attitudes and behaviors were discovered to be completely out of place.angelicaperry60https://www.blogger.com/profile/09607093051288139048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-61147667463612678342011-04-17T23:36:15.094-07:002011-04-17T23:36:15.094-07:00It seems to be the popular criticism to say that D...It seems to be the popular criticism to say that Dunbar does not paint a favorable image of the Big Apple, or any other urban area, for the black community in <i>The Sport of the Gods</i>. Wide-eyed and naive, the children are taken in by the bright lights and jovial festivity of Harlem&#39;s night life, and it doesn&#39;t take long for them turn to debauchery and violence. Mrs. Hamilton doesn&#39;t fare any better when she marries a cruel man.<br /><br />While it may have been Dunbar&#39;s intention to highlight the destructive forces that arise as more and more blacks migrate to the urban North, I don&#39;t see them as specifically urban problems. I feel that the <i>real</i> problem for the Hamiltons is a lack of a father. After all, it is Berry&#39;s incarceration that causes them to move North in the first place. Without their father&#39;s guidance and reprimand, Joe and Kit are suddenly thrust into adult situations for which they are not prepared, and they continue to fall deeper into corruption. Without her husband&#39;s love and companionship, Fannie is driven into an abusive relationship with another man. Dunbar&#39;s tragic story ends with some meager amount of redemption as Berry is acquitted and released from prison, but not soon enough to save his children. Reuniting with Fannie, they return to the country to live out the rest of their days. I think this ending speaks powerfully to Dunbar&#39;s opinion that the city is a good-for-nothing place that only invites violence, lewdness, alcoholism, and all sorts of immorality.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10261620505713400714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-20130467006649214962011-04-17T15:34:48.644-07:002011-04-17T15:34:48.644-07:00One can contribute some of the Hamilton family’s p...One can contribute some of the Hamilton family’s problems to being greenhorns in the city. If they had the chance to visit the city while they were living in the country, the shock wouldn’t have been as great and they may have been better able to deal with all of the new temptations. It is kind of the same when a young adult leaves home. If a young person is never allowed to make his/her own mistakes, they will make huge ones when he/she is older because the parental shield is no longer there. In this case, the country is the shield from the intoxicating city. <br />Dunbar really seems to hate cities and what they can do to “good” people. Huge cities allow a person to be tempted into a lot of trouble and destroy morals, especially when one is living in the bad part of the city. Becoming an alcoholic, committing murder, being irresponsible with money and aggressive behavior is a lot easier when caught up in the hustle and bustle of the city. If Mrs. Hamilton had time to experience the city before her children came, she may had been better prepared to prevent certain habits in both of her children.riobonitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17460114312362057051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-22758871979229961312011-04-15T21:13:02.297-07:002011-04-15T21:13:02.297-07:00I think Dunbar does a good job at describing New Y...I think Dunbar does a good job at describing New York City from the point of view of someone that has never experienced the overwhelming feeling of moving from a more rural place to the huge megalopolis of New York City. Dunbar does make a big deal out of the differences between the two, however I do think that Dunbar&#39;s elaborate scheming only adds to the overall story. Nearly all of the problems in the text can be attributed to the fact that in the large city the Hamilton family has to learn to manage their large amount of freedom.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920384454488550867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37908515092567291.post-38590890633805780552011-04-14T11:35:27.672-07:002011-04-14T11:35:27.672-07:00Yes, some of the problems that befell the Hamilton...Yes, some of the problems that befell the Hamiltons could be attributed to their status as new comers but some problems came about as a result of their upbringing. Right from the onset, Joe was given too much freedom to do whatever he wanted. A good example is his dad encouraging him to spend money as he pleased. Kit was too sheltered to know what was going on around her and dressing her up in choice clothing ended up in giving her a somewhat haughty attitude towards her peers. Essentially, the dotting parents gave Kit and Joe a false sense of security. <br />By describing New York as cruel, cold, unfeeling and, intoxicating, Dunbar was definitely making an exaggerated effect of how the provincial perceives a metropolitan city. Dunbar gives the impression that such a migration would only lead to a disaster. This isn’t necessarily true. Yes, one would meet with difficulties initially but acclimatization follows almost immediately. <br />The family structure in big cities is not as solid as the ones in rural areas. The outcome is having more people with low moral standards. The banner club and its hangers on are a direct consequence of a proliferation of people with low moral standards.Kanayohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01034950450233324389noreply@blogger.com